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Woman killed, another critically injured by falling tree in Bronx, police say
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Aug 16, 2022
Modified Aug 16, 2022
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By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Aug 16, 2022
Modified Aug 16, 2022
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Two swimmers were hit by a falling tree that crashed into a pool beside a Bronx apartment building Monday, killing one woman and critically injuring a second, police said.
The tree came crashing down into the pool of the Spuyten Duyvil co-op building on Palisades Avenue just after 1:30 p.m., officials said.
Donna Douglas, 59, was rushed to the hospital but died later. A second 72-year-old woman was critically injured but is in stable condition.
Following the incident, police ordered the pool vacated and requested an inspection of the property, according to building department records.
On Saturday, a parkgoer in Bedford-Stuyvesant was also hit by a falling tree limb and knocked unconscious at the Reinaldo Salgado Playground. The man later died from his injuries, the Daily News and the New York Post reported. An NYPD spokesperson couldn’t confirm the reports.
Parks Department spokesperson Megan Moriarty said forestry experts inspected the London planetree that struck the man and found it to be in overall good condition. The tree was pruned most recently in July 2020 and inspected in August 2020, though state officials recommend inspecting urban trees at least once a year. The tree limb crashed down from 40 feet up, Moriarty said. She didn’t immediately return a request for further comment.
City data from the most recent Mayor’s Management Report found tree inspections and tree prunings decreased dramatically in fiscal year 2021, though they were back up during the first quarter of fiscal year 2022.
Injuries from falling trees and tree limbs are extremely rare occurrences. To see when trees on your street are scheduled for pruning, or to request a pruning yourself, visit the city’s parks website.
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Gwynne Hogan
Gwynne Hogan is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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